Police arrest 15 persons for alleged breach of law, order in Anambra

By Enyim Enyim
ONITSHA — Fifteen persons have been arrested by Anambra State Police Command for allegedly breach of law and order at Umuoye village, Ebenebe community in Awka North Local Government Area.

The suspects led by one Mr. Julius Nweke were equally said to have committed contempt of court by invading the community with cultists that forcefully took their land for the burial of his father.

Nweke’s grandfather, was said to have been given the disputed land 80 years ago as customary tenant and was paying tribute to the community based on agreement.

But when he died, the grandson, Nweke, refused to pay the tribute on ground that he was now a Christian.

Trouble started when the father of Nweke died and he wanted to bury his father on the disputed land, the community refused and told him that it was not their land.

Following his alleged insistence and threat that his father must be buried on the land, the people of Umuoye village in Ebenebe headed to court to restrain him from carrying out his threat.

Accordingly, the community got a court order restraining him from burying his father there, an order he was said to have ignored and mobilized a group of able bodied young men suspected to be from Obosi, who were armed with all manner of weapons, including guns.

A community leader, Rev. Canon Okoye, told the Vanguard that “upon the death of his own father recently, the Umuoye village warned him not to bury his father on the land contending that the land does not belong to them.”

In a petition to the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Mr Sam Okaula, by the Umuoye village and signed by their lawyer, Mr. Victor Nwachukwu stated that “Nweke has ever since been threatening to cause mayhem and arson.”

“Sir, when our clients confronted the aforesaid Mr. Julius Nweke and warned him to desist from his unwholesome and dastardly criminal acts, he became furious and openly boasted that he has not less than fifty cult boys under his control and disposal that he would use to further terrorize our clients’ community. As if the above scenario were not enough and true to his boasts”

“Mr. Julius Nweke and his gang since 10th day of February, 2017 have been repeatedly, persistently and continuously issuing threats to our clients, boasting that he will exterminate them from the face of this mother earth in an imminent and gruesome criminal operation unless they stop disturbing them in their nefarious criminal acts”.

According to the order granted by the President of a customary court, CJ Nnebe Chukwu it ruled that “The application of the applicants as in the face of the Motion No: Misc/4/2017 is granted as prayed.